JC offensive lineman Kyle Long making an early impression at Oregon

Junior college Kyle Long has made a strong impression on his new team during Oregon's first week of fall camp.

A 6-foot-7, 311-pound junior college transfer whose dad and brother are NFL veterans, Long boasts an impressive pedigree and clearly also got his share of those good genes. Just in terms of physical tools, I've already heard him compared with former UO great and NFL Hall of Famer Gary Zimmerman.

Putting those tools to use through the development of solid technique and the digestion of Oregon's schemes is the next step, which Long has begun taking.

"For him to be where he is right now, I'm actually not surprised, but pleased," UO coach Chip Kelly said. "And we'll see how he progresses. But he certainly is physical and athletic, and gives us another presence out there that we need, especially at the tackle spot."

Oregon returns starting right tackle Nick Cody and also sophomore Jake Fisher, who projects as a tackle after playing in all 14 games at various spots last season. But after that, the tackle depth is made up mostly of redshirt freshmen Tyler Johnstone and James Euscher, and veteran reserve Everett Benyard.

Long seems to be making a strong push to crack that rotation, in what likely is his only season in Eugene, barring a successful appeal to the NCAA for another.

"I think he came here with a plan on playing," Kelly said. "And I like that plan."

Long, like Oregon's other newcomers, won't be available for interviews until the week of the first game. No doubt he'll make an even bigger impression then, because from what I could gather once he joined the team for summer workouts, he's one of the real characters on the roster, too.